A Taste of Power
by Gloria Underhill
Summary: COMPLETE! Kagome is suffering from her total separation from the shikon no tama, and InuYasha isn't helping matters. but a lonely demoness wants to help her. can she pay the price, does she know what it is? IKag
1. Prologue: To Make A Friend

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

****

Prologue: To Make A Friend

A man in a baboon cloak walked along a narrow ridge of firm ground in a marsh. Green light filtered down through the canopy and reflected gray on the mud and rotting plant life to either side of the path. It was a strange combination of bright living trees and moss, and dead and rotting grass and leaves. Life and death coexisting perfectly.

"What brings you here, vile creature?" a sweet feminine voice directed him to a small island where a beautiful demon perched gracefully on a large rock. A small beam of light almost made it through the dense foliage, casting a golden-green light on her. She wore a white toga with a gold pin at the shoulder and a gold belt round her waist. Her long black hair was put up in a golden band and allowed to fall in delicate curls back to her shoulders.

"I have come to offer you great power." Naraku said.

"Explain, what can _you_ possibly do for _me_?" she asked, somewhat bored.

"I can offer you a shard of the Shikon No Tama, if you help me destroy some one." He explained.

"Who? Show me."

"Kanna." He ordered.

The nothing child lifted her mirror to the demon lady, in it she saw a group of travelers.

"A perverted monk, a youkia exterminator, a hanyou, and a naive miko?" she looked curious for the first time, "the one with the ears, he's the one?"

"Yes destroy him and you can keep the shard I'll give you to help in this task." Naraku said.

"I don't _do_ hanyou." She said with disgust, "And I don't want your jewel shards…. Wait." She looked in the mirror again. "You have a young human in your power, do you not? Give him to me, after I'm finished you can reclaim his shard. It will be a little dirtier, and the hanyou will be utterly devastated."

*

"We'll stop here for the night." InuYasha said. "Uh, … Kagome?"

Kagome slowed to a stop and slowly turned to face him, "Sure."

Once camp was made and dinner eaten, Kagome leaned against a tree and stared blankly at the fire.

"Kagome? Are you alright?" Sango asked, again.

Slowly Kagome's face turned to Sango, then her eyes followed. Once they had refocused on her she said, "Yes I'm fine." She smiled slightly and finished, "I'm just tired, that's all."

The others watched her worriedly. She had been just tired for a few days now, walking, talking and eating as if she was still asleep.

*

A/N: this story is all outlined, except the very end. It is however still a living story. That means it will be finished, updated in a timely manor and could still be somewhat influenced by reviews. (suggestions, comments you know.) Yes, the chapters are short, but fast.


	2. Indecent Proposal

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Chapter 1: Indecent Proposal

Things were only getting worse for Kagome. Everyone could see it, but no one knew what to do. Kagome wasn't sleeping, wasn't eating and wasn't sitting InuYasha. No matter how badly he needed it.

At the moment Kagome was laying in her sleeping bag staring blankly at the night sky.

"Perhaps she is ill?" Sango suggested, again. Sango, Miroku and even InuYasha were huddled on the opposite side of the camp discussing her condition as quietly as possible.

"She insists that she is well, just tired." Miroku said thoughtfully.

"She's not sick." InuYasha said, "And if she's tired then why doesn't she sleep?"

"Perhaps Kagome should go home for a while InuYasha." Miroku suggested, "To rest the spirit as well as her body."

"If she goes through the well without a jewel shard she can't get back." InuYasha grunted, "We still have to check out this rumor. She can rest after that, if we find a jewel shard."

And then he was in a tree close to Kagome, but not in her line of sight. 'Her eyes are like Kikyo's were before…' he thought sadly, 'no, her eyes are like dolls eyes, completely vacant. What's wrong with you Kagome?'

Miroku and Sango eventually bedded down themselves, after spreading out of course.

But late into the night Kagome was still staring blankly at the stars. She lay there not feeling, not thinking for the most part. It was strange; it had been several weeks' sense the last of the jewel shards in her care had been stolen. And they hadn't found anymore. She had slowly become… numb. Numb and tired.

That last run in with Kikyo didn't even phase her like it usually did. She just got tired, very very tired. Well, once she stopped to think about it, that was when she lost her appetite. She had already stopped sleeping.

Kagome was a modern girl; she knew the symptoms of depression. But what was she supposed to do? It's not like she could work up the energy to actually _care_. And it wasn't so bad really, not feeling. She was never sad or angry any more, never hungry either. While she did miss sleep, she didn't actually seem to need it. The exhaustion she felt that lead her to say that she was tired was somewhat a physical need not to stand anymore, one that never grew or lessened. But mostly it was a great weight on her spirit, pulling it down into her shoes, making it difficult for her to keep her head up.

So the morning came. Kagome got up, packed her bag and lead her bike down the road, next to InuYasha. As she had always done, as she felt she would always do, without change, for all time.

*

Kagome was sitting outside a large bland looking dwelling, waiting for the others to finish with the youkia inside. It was some small fast thing that had every one jumping and swearing. InuYasha was about ready to level the house.

She would have laughed, if she had it in her to find anything funny.

The house was on the edge of town, and Kagome was facing the road, away from town.

She wasn't really alarmed when the attractive youkia female in a toga walked up to her. She was smiling pleasantly enough.

"Hello, do you mind if I join you?" She indicated the space next to Kagome, who shrugged. She sat down and stared off in the same general direction as Kagome was. "My name is Sorrell, I'm a youkia."

"I noticed." Kagome said.

"What gave me away?" Sorrell smiled teasingly, "The strange clothes? The pointy ears?"

Kagome looked at Sorrell directly for the first time, "That, and most humans aren't blue."

Sorrell held out her hands to inspect, "I'm not that blue, just vaguely… courpseish."

"I'm Kagome." Kagome said after she realized that she hadn't introduced herself.

"I know," Sorrell putt her hands on her knees, "I've been watching you. We must be careful whom we trust on the other side. But I like you."

"Then why should _I_ trust _you_?" Kagome asked, "You are a strange youkia after all."

"I have a greater patients for humans than most, I even find them somewhat endearing, at times." Sorrell said, then lifted her right forearm for Kagome to see, on it a strange symbol was burned, "It says truth, in my youth I was, and am, curse to only tell the truth. I know what is wrong with you."

"What?" Kagome asked wearily.

"At first, or mostly, you are suffering from the separation from the Shikon No Tama. The shards connected you to the rest of it, in a way, that allowed the energy you were so used to, to comfort you. To supplement your drained power with it's own. With out this great source of power you are left to fend for yourself. Your not used to it, your not able to recover your power as fast as your used to." Sorrell paused, waiting for the question.

"So all I need is to get a jewel shard?" Kagome asked.

"That would help you, but you have a much larger problem," Sorrell's face fell slightly to a sweet sadness, "You are in love. Did you know that when you love someone you give some of your energy to them? But here it is one sided. You give him your energy, more than one would usually because he seems to need it, and you think you can spare it, and he gobbles it up. But he doesn't give you any of his."

Sorrell paused for a moment, letting what she said sink in, "These things combined are draining your energy dangerously fast. Did you know that women can take energy from men? They can even take it from women who give that man their love. I would hate to be a woman feeding a man all my love energy only to have him give it to a monster who only wants to cause him pain. And then it must be replaced. Draining that women farther."

"InuYasha gives my energy to Kikyo?" Kagome asked numbly.

"There is a way to get it back," Sorrell continued, "I can teach you how."

"Couldn't I just stop giving so much to InuYasha?" Kagome asked again.

"I don't think you could," Sorrell answered, "you love him too much. But you could take back what you give him; he has so much life energy that he would never miss it. Not with your constant donations."

"I don't think I could steal InuYasha's energy." Kagome turned some of her attention to the house again. They were still chasing that thing.

"You wouldn't be _stealing_ his energy," Sorrell said, "You would be taking a sip from a cup filled to overflowing, as long as you give, and he takes that's all that matters. If you take some back he would never notice."

"I don't think-"

"You don't have to," Sorrell interrupted, "I just think you should realize what is going on, and how to correct it." she paused to make sure that Kagome was paying attention, "I have only your best interest in mind Kagome. Can you say the same for him?" Another meaningful pause, "All it takes is a little kiss, once you know what's going on. Just a little kiss, a little sip from an overflowing fountain. He'll never miss it, but it means so much to you."

Sorrell stood up, "Think about it. How long do you think you can continue like this?" She stood up, "Oh, one more thing, if you tell InuYasha about what we discussed he will probably block your ability to take what belongs to you." And with that she continued down the road.

The movement in the house stopped, and InuYasha, Miroku and Sango exited looking somewhat worse for wear but victorious.

"The reward had better be more than a nights…" InuYasha sniffed around, "Hey Kagome, who was just here?"

  
Kagome shrugged, "Someone."

"She was a youkia." InuYasha scowled, "What did she want?"

"She just talked, she recognized me from our journey." Kagome sighed; she stood and grabbed her pack, "Are we staying here tonight?"

*

A/N: Now that we know a little more what I'm talking about, do you think it's too dark or twisted for PG-13? I know there is worse stuff out there, but I'd hate to be "under rated" so to speak. Please give me feed back on this, if at any time you think I should up the rating.

F.Y.I.: Sorrell really is cursed. If you're looking for her angle try to figure out what she isn't saying. Just because she only speaks the truth doesn't mean she tells the _whole_ truth.


	3. Just A Taste

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Chapter 2: Just A Taste

If possible Kagome was more numb by nightfall. She was staring at the roof boards of the nights shelter she considering how, though she never seemed to sleep anymore, she was less and less sleepy. The same could be said about food, she never ate but was never hungry. These things were being replaced by a wonderful, comfortable numbness.

But she was getting weaker. Becoming thin, and pale. And she wasn't thinking as clearly as she normally would. But she couldn't kiss InuYasha, not just to suck out his energy, not even if it _was_ hers. Could she?

*

The eagle youkia attacked in mid afternoon. Kagome stood on the sidelines watching with mild curiosity as the large bird swooped, avoiding all attacks from InuYasha, Sango, and even Miroku. She didn't even flinch when it made another attempt to remove Shippo from her shoulder. 

"Kagome! They need your help!" Shippo squeaked.

Kagome nodded slowly, she readied her bow, took aim and gathered her energy. Then waited for an appropriate opening.

The others noticed Kagome's involvement and worked to corner the youkia with their forth warrior now ready for action.

The eagle paused watching the three it considered a threat considering their next attack, it thought it could see what they were going to do and waited to see when they would make their move.

Kagome released her arrow. It flew true and struck the beast under the right wing. In a swirl of blue energy the joint connecting the wing to it's body dissolved. The wing, and the creature, fell to the ground, where it was easily dispatched by InuYasha.

Kagome watched the events with slight uncertainty. Usually a youkia of this level would be utterly dissolved with power to spare. But this arrow had only managed to remove a wing.

It was then that Kagome realized she couldn't go on like this, being drained of all her power. She wouldn't be able to continue the mission like this. She wouldn't be able to help her friends if the time came that she could be of help, needed to help. This wasn't about her health, or mental well being any more, this would effect her friends.

She decided to give it a try. Sure it would mean using her first kiss to drink some of InuYasha power, but she gave him some of that power, right? She deserved to have some of her power for herself. She needed that power, to survive.

*

That night Kagome decided to turn in early. It was her best chance of catching InuYasha off guard.

"I'm going to bed guys." She said. It was just after dinner, which she didn't eat, and they all looked up at her. Shippo was on her left and InuYasha to her right. Just as she had planed it.

"Are you sleepy Kagome?" Miroku said hopefully.

Now she felt guilty, "No, I'm just… tired. Good night Sango, Miroku." She turned to Shippo, "Good night Shippo." She gave him a kiss on his forehead, then turned to InuYasha, "Good night InuYasha." She reached one hand up and turned his face toward her a little more. He looked confused. But Kagome wouldn't let herself see him, not really. She would chicken out if she thought about it. She leaned up and gently touched her lips to his.

For a brief moment she was only aware of the feel of him, then she remembered why she was doing this in the first place, and gave a little tug with her energy.

Sorrell was right. She could almost taste InuYasha's energy, wild and chaotic, gentle and kind.

Just a little sip and Kagome released him. The whole event didn't even last as long as his and Kikyo's. But it gave her an infusion of badly needed power.

Kagome walked over to her sleeping bag. She didn't want to bother with her nightly ritual because that would detract from her cover story. That she was too tired to realize what she was doing. And she really didn't want to give InuYasha enough time to recover and start asking her questions.

Besides suddenly she really _was_ very sleepy.

InuYasha was still sitting there, his head turned the direction Kagome had placed it, eyes wide open. 'What the _hell_ was that?' he thought.

"InuYasha?" Miroku said, "Is there-"

"Shut up, buzo." He spat reflexively, "What was that?" He asked Sango.

Miroku beat her to the punch, "That was a kiss, InuYasha. A fairly chaste one, but defiantly a kiss."

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" InuYasha yelled.

"Why don't all of you shut up!" Shippo hissed at the camp from his new position on Kagome's sleeping bag, "Kagome's _sleeping_!"


	4. All For A Family

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Chapter 3: All For A Family

The next morning Kagome was up earlier and easier than usual. Happily she stoked the fire and prepared breakfast.

As she handed InuYasha his bowl of ramen he looked at her hesitantly and said, "Kagome, about last night…"

"Where are we going today, InuYasha?" Kagome asked cheerily.

InuYasha blinked, "The rumor takes us north from here." He said, "Kagome-" he tried again.

"Let's get moving then! The sooner we get that shard the better!" Kagome turned away from her shocked friends and repacked her bag.

*

Kagome was back to her usual cheerful self, and then some, for several days. She was energetic, happy, even unusually useful in battle.

And then she wasn't. Her sprightly step slowed to a calm trod, and finally returned to a heavy plod. Her eyes once again began to lose their luster and resemble those of a doll, a somewhat troubled doll.

Then the rumor of the shard proved false.

All drive left Kagome, and once again she found herself without appetite. All at once snuggled deeply in the familiar numbness. But she wouldn't let herself think on this now; she didn't want to think about how she could fix it, how she could reenergize herself.

She just lay awake at night, staring at the stars, and listening to the concerned whispers of her friends.

*

On their way back to Keade's village they crossed a hot spring. Sango dragged Kagome off to bathe, in the hopes that the therapeutic waters would help her waning spirit.

Kagome sat in the water, staring at the opposite bank, while Sango tried to get her to talk.

"I think Miroku is watching us." Was all Kagome said.

Once Sango was off chasing the perverted monk, Kagome let out a relieved sigh. There's nothing worse than someone trying to cheer you up when you don't really want to be.

"May I join you?" Sorrell asked as she lowered herself into the water next to Kagome.

"Sure." Kagome shrugged.

"So…did it work?" Sorrell asked.

"Don't you know?" Kagome returned.

"Yes," Sorrell said, "I was just trying to ease the transition to my next question. Why haven't you done it again? Your energy is as weak as ever, his as strong. You are still feeding him and he is still ignoring you. Why do you not take what you need?"

"… I feel guilty," Kagome replied, "He doesn't know what's going on. He doesn't even want to do it. What am I supposed to do? Walk up steal a kiss and saunter away like nothing happened?"

"If that works." Sorrell sighed, "If it helps, if he was against it, he would stop you. But it doesn't really matter, you need this energy, you gave it to him. You are useless to your quest and your friends as you are now."

Kagome shook her head, "I just can't do this, I can't kiss a guy that belongs to another girl. I can't win, I don't even want to try."

Sorrell sighed, "You don't have to, a kiss is just a kiss. Just because you touch your lips to his doesn't mean you are trying to _steal_ him from anyone. Think of it like this, if you must, the healthier you are the faster you will collect the shards, the more _useful_ you will be in the battles and the sooner you can leave him and his fickle heart behind and move on with your life." Sorrell watched Kagome look sadly at the ripples in the pool, "You will only get weaker like this, you know I speak the truth. Take a sip, finish the quest. Or die. Why don't you go ba-"

"Who are you? What do you want?" Sango had just returned from beating Miroku, and was surprised to see a youkia talking to Kagome.

"Kagome why don't you return to camp, you could do with some rest." Sorrell said. Smiling warmly at Kagome, then she turned that smile on Sango, "My name is Sorrell, I'm an acquaintance of Kagome's."

Kagome was looking at her hands, "I think I'll go turn in now Sango, Sorrell is right, I've soaked long enough."

Sorrell helped Kagome out of the spring, and watched as she first dressed and then walked slowly toward the camp.

"Youkia! Answer me! What did you do to Kagome?" Sango demanded.

"My name is Sorrell, and I have educated Kagome on why her energy is running so dangerously low, among other things." Sorrell said while she pinned her toga.

"What is happening to Kagome, and what 'other things'?" Sango eyed Sorrell suspiciously.

"Kagome is without the jewel of power which resided in her for so long, and she is in love. These things combined have drained her own energy. You see she loves too well, her heart is wide open to him. And his heart is damaged, so he takes as much as she will give him, to heal his heart." Sorrell paused to gauge Sango's reaction, she seemed to understand so Sorrell went on, "But, probably because his heart is damaged and possibly belongs to another, he cannot or will not return her energy, or give his own. He very likely doesn't know what he is doing. Just as Kagome was unaware of what she was doing."

"What 'other things' did you tell Kagome?" Sango had relaxed a bit, but was still ready to pounce on the youkia if it made a wrong move.

"I told her how she could take some of her energy back." Sorrell explained simply.

"Why?" Sango asked, "Why would you help Kagome? Why would a youkia help a miko?"

Sorrell's smiled turned sad, "I am lonely, Sango. When a vile man in a baboon cloak tried to get me to use my talents against your group, I was uninterested. At first I thought there was nothing to be gained by it, I am not interested in the power of the jewel."

"Naraku…" Sango said, "you work for Naraku!"

"NO, and yes," Sorrell shook her head, "Listen to my story first. I saw this little miko giving away her power. Unaware that her love was likely going to get her killed. I knew I could help her understand this. And then I saw this little boy with Naraku-"

"Kohaku…" Sango breathed.

"Yes. He can't survive without the shard of the jewel in his back. But I can also change that. So I told Naraku I would help him, in exchange for the boy. He agreed. I have him now, in my home here."

"Why…" Sango whispered, "Why are you doing this?"

"I am lonely, Sango." Sorrell repeated, "I am the last of my kind, were I am from. And the form is different here. I do not despise humans, and I do not fear your little miko. I can heal Kohaku, Sango. Return him to life and allow him to grow up. This I can do with my knowledge of energy. But it will take time." Sorrell's tone was gaining a pleading quality. "Once I have finished here I will have healed Kohaku, _if_ I have enough time. Your group will not falter by the small amount of energy that Kagome needs from InuYasha. Kohaku will be away from the influence of Naraku and the shard, and me? I will have a little brother," Sorrell looked meaningfully down at her side, and then back up to Sango, eyes soft and pained, hopeful and sad, "And a little sister. I will no longer be alone."

"You can save Kohaku?" Sango said.

"All I need now is time." Sorrell answered hopefully, "It will take time to heal his wounds properly. Until then Kagome's feeding off of InuYasha will convince Naraku that I am still in his pocket. If he discovers otherwise too soon, he will take Kohaku _back_."

"Why not tell InuYasha what's going on?" Sango whispered. She had lost all will to fight this youkia, but she did want to know, a lack of information got her into trouble before.

"That would both ruin the facade and damage Kagome's chances at getting what she needs." Sorrell sighed, back to a more business like tone, "It is possible that InuYasha will figure it out on his own, not likely but possible. Then he will either prevent all future energy transfers or begin giving Kagome what he should. Either way my game would be over, and Kohaku would be returned to Naraku, as he is. So don't tell InuYasha, don't let him know what's going on."

Sango stood still for a moment, "For Kohaku." She breathed.

Sorrell smiled sweetly and walked off into the forest. Sango turned and walked quietly back to camp.


	5. For The Good Of The Group

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Chapter 4: For The Good Of The Group

Sorrell greeted Kohaku as she entered their cave. "Look what I have little brother." She held out a strand of Kagome's hair that she had acquired at the hot springs.

"Do you know what this means?" Kohaku stared into space silently. "Soon Kagome will aid me in healing you Kohaku." Sorrell smiled sweetly, "Just one more ingredient."

Sorrell moved to the back of the cave and deposited the hair carefully in a box already containing two wooden dolls and a crystal shard.

*

Kagome sat staring numbly at the fire, waiting for her hair to dry. When Sango rejoined the group she sat next to Kagome, a sad far off look in her eyes.

Shippo turned to the other two males beside him, "All I know is _I'm_ not going to be next to ask Kagome what's wrong."

Miroku returned his eyes to the two girls across from them. It did appear to be spreading.

InuYasha just scowled. He was getting tired of Kagome's listlessness, all he wanted to do was get a jewel shard so he could send her home as soon as possible. For a few days anyway.

Soon enough it was once again time for bed. Kagome slowly stood and walked around the fire.

"Good night Shippo." Kagome knelt and kissed him on the forehead.

Then once again she slowly stood and approached InuYasha. The whole camp watched as she walked up to him and knelt.

"Good night InuYasha." She said. Then she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. InuYasha closed his eyes and leaned into her ever so slightly, only to have her pull back.

Kagome looked somewhat confused. It worked just like the last time, tasted just like it had then. Only it was faster and more power flowed into her. It frightened her a little, and she hadn't even noticed InuYasha's response to her kiss.

"Good night Miroku, Sango." She said absently, giving Miroku's hand a pat. Quickly she stood up and trotted over to her sleeping bag.

"Odd," Miroku said once Kagome was snuggled into her bedding. "She seemed to improved greatly immediately after-"

"Shut-up houshi-sama," Sango perked up. "No one wants to hear your perverted observations."

Miroku was startled, sure he was known to make inappropriate comments from time to time, but _this_ time his observation was legitimate. "Sango, I merely found it strange that Kagome seemed to perk up as soon as-"

"Maybe she was just happy to be going to sleep, she _was_ tired at the springs." Sango fumed, "You always manage to find the most perverted view of any situation, and I think it's starting to blind you to what's right in front of you."

Sango stood up and marched over to her own bedding.

Miroku sat silently considering the truth behind Sango's rant long after InuYasha had abandoned him for the tree over Kagome.

InuYasha watched as Kagome slept peacefully for the first time in days. He remembered the last time she slept like this. She had kissed him then too. He decided to confront her about this in the morning, and this time he _would_ get an answer.

*

Kagome stretched luxuriously before slowly opening her eyes. She gave a startled yelp when she saw InuYasha's golden eyes mere inches from her own.  


"What are you doing InuYasha?" Kagome gasped.

InuYasha sat back quickly, and folded his arms in his sleeves. "Keh, I was waiting for you to get up." He looked around at others to make sure they were still asleep. "I wanted to talk to you. Why did you-"

"InuYasha I would think you learned a long time ago not to hover over sleeping girls!" Kagome glared at him.

"Shut-up! I'm not letting you distract me again." InuYasha glared back, "Why did you kiss me last night, and a few nights ago? Answer me, Kagome!"

Kagome flinched at the command in his voice. "I-I was just so tired, I didn't know what I was doing, I-"

"Bull-shit Kagome, you didn't kiss Miroku or Sango." InuYasha huffed, "What's going on?"

Kagome stared at her lap, "I'm sorry InuYasha, I just, it helped me sleep the last time. And it worked this time too. But if it bothers you, I won't do it again." There were tears in her eyes when she finished her speech. She felt guilty. Guilty for taking his energy, even if it was hers, and guilty for lying to him. She was afraid that he would demand that she never come near him again.

InuYasha noticed her tears and then _he_ felt guilty. He was more annoyed then upset; Kagome was kissing him and then denying it. "Feh," He turned away from her, "If it keeps you from slowing us down then I don't mind."

*

Near the end of their days travel a youkia stepped out of the forest into the road. He was a young male… something; he looked like a rabid mole and stood at about Kagome's height.

"I want the miko of the shards!" He shouted at them.

"We don't have any shards!" Kagome shouted back before InuYasha could respond.

InuYasha shot Kagome an annoyed look before shouting his own answer, "Don't be stupid, you're too weak to fight me. Go away."

The mole creature looked at InuYasha briefly before charging at Kagome with surprising speed. InuYasha moved to intercept but the youkia jumped and landed behind the group.

"Give her to me and I'll let the rest of you live." He yelled before jumping again and pulling one of InuYasha's ears as he landed.

"OW! Fuck! You little shit, now you die" InuYasha roared as he ran off into the woods chasing the laughing youkia.

"…Should we follow them?" Sango asked.

"No," Miroku looked around, "InuYasha can handle that one on his own, we should stay here and guard Kagome in case it was a distraction."

In the forest, the mole ran, staying just ahead of InuYasha, 'The woman was right, he is too powerful' he thought. He just had to make sure that she got hers now or this venture would be completely useless.

He took a hard right, diving under some brambles and immediately up into thorn tree with InuYasha hot on his tail. InuYasha cut through the brambles with his claws but was forced to follow the youkia into the tree to see his next move.

The mole jumped to the ground a few feet away and ran took off. InuYasha stayed right with him.

Once they were far from the tree the mole decided that InuYasha wasn't going to give up, and seemed far less winded than he was, so it was up to him. He stopped and fell down on his back with his arms over his head and sobbed.

InuYasha was forced to jump to avoid tripping over the ugly mass of sobbing youkia. He turned in mid air and landed on the other side, eyeing his quarry suspiciously.

"Please don't kill me!" He begged, "I see now that you are too powerful for me. Let me live and you will never see me again!"

InuYasha straitened, "Feh, if I do ever see you again I will enjoy killing you, _no one_ threatens Kagome." With that InuYasha jumped into the forest returning to the group he left behind.

The Mole youkia sat up as his crocodile tears dried up. It worked, just like she said it would. All that was left was for him to claim his prize.

*

InuYasha returned to find the others had made camp and dinner was almost done.

"Just in time InuYasha." Miroku stated from his post by the fire. "I trust you took care of things."

"Feh." InuYasha scowled at the snakes roasting on the fire. Yet another reason to find a jewel shard soon, they were out of ramen.

*

Sorrell approached the thorn tree and looked up into the branches where several white strands of hair flashed silver in the moonlight.

"I got you your hair, where's my recipe?" The mole walked up behind her.

Sorrell reached into the toga and pulled out a small scroll. She tossed it to him without ever once looking away from the hair tangled in the thorns. "Choose your prey wisely and that is all the speed you will ever need." She said, dismissing him.

*

A/N: Will Kagome kiss InuYasha now that he has given permission? What does Sorrell have in store for InuYasha's hair? How is Sango going to keep Miroku from realizing the truth before Kohaku is healed? Will Miroku realize the truth anyway? Find out the answers to most of these questions next time!

Um, any ideas on what Sango could do to keep Miroku from the truth? I know everything else, honest! Well, I can probably figure that one out before next week.

Oh and for those of you who might have misread, it is a normal old crystal shard, not a Shikon shard.


	6. Escalation

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Chapter 5: Escalation

Dinner was eaten, and the night wore on. Kagome was nervous about kissing InuYasha again. She wouldn't be sneaking the kiss this time. He would know it was coming, he would expect it.

InuYasha was just as nervous as Kagome.

The others waited nervously as well. Miroku wanted to know if Kagome would kiss InuYasha again, if he would let her, and if her sudden mood change _was_ just a figment of his perverted imagination.

Sango worried that Miroku would figure out what was actually going on and tell InuYasha before Kohaku was healed.

Kagome slowly stood up and approached InuYasha, just as she had all those other nights. Slowly she kneeled in front of him; anxiously she looked into his carefully blank eyes.

"Good night, InuYasha." She whispered as she slowly leaned toward him.

InuYasha leaned forward, surprising her when his lips met hers somewhat more firmly than before. She wasn't just kissing InuYasha, _InuYasha_ was kissing _her_!

In her shock Kagome forgot the little pull to start the flow of energy from InuYasha into herself. But she did feel the power flowing, fast and strong, from InuYasha, replenishing her parched spirit, and she definitely noticed when she began to overflow with it.

Eagerly she returned the excess, laced with her own peaceful essence, and tilted her head to deepen the kiss.

InuYasha gratefully excepted her. He lifted his idle hands and tentatively touched her jaw.

Kagome's eyes flew open and she fell backwards as the touch brought her back to the present. She first landed on her posterior and would have ended up with her head in the fire had InuYasha not caught her arms.

He looked confused, "Kagome?"

Kagome put her feet beneath her and got up uneasily. "Th-thank you, InuYasha."

Kagome drifted over to her sleeping bag in a bit of a daze, 'That was a kiss. A _real_ kiss. I just got my first _real_ kiss, from _InuYasha_!' She was so wrapped up in this small detail that she missed the facts of the energy exchange.

"Whoa." Shippo said. _That_ was definitely more than he had expected from the shy miko and the grumpy hanyou.

Miroku was too worried about his state of mind to react, if the other kisses had been like this one, then perhaps his slight perversion _was _beginning to cloud his perception. _This_ had certainly been a normal kiss, although it had ended on an unusual note.

Sango however berated herself slightly on not preventing Shippo from witnessing the scene, even as she gave a relieved sigh. Miroku didn't seem to be suspicious.

*

"Look, Kohaku." Sorrell brought the still incoherent child in front of her spell. Two wooden dolls stood facing each other, each had one end of a strand of hair tied to its head and the other tied to the other dolls' body. The crystal shard lay to one side, waiting.

"See the flow?" Sorrell pointed at the hairs, "InuYasha seems to be giving to Kagome now. But I need Kagome's help to heal you, she moves energy so well, and purifies it so easily. And she has a good supplier." Sorrell sighed, "I can't process youki myself, it takes more energy then it gives me."

"Now to get Kagome to give her energy to a truly worthy cause, and not that vile hanyou pig of a male, she simply needs to be redirected." Sorrell reached out and snapped the black hair where it tied to the InuYasha dolls torso and tied it around the crystal.

Kohaku flinched as she finished tying the knot.

Sorrell smiled when she saw his reaction. "Good, now we wait. Kagome will donate as much power as she can to heal you, and soon Kohaku, I will have a sister, and you will be a real boy." Sorrell sat down with her back against the cave wall and pulled him into her lap.

"And in a few years, when you are of a more proper age, I will bring you over too. Then I will have a brother. I will have a _family_ again." Sorrell began to sing an old lullaby from her country as Kohaku stared straight ahead, unmoving and unmoved.

*

"Something's wrong here." Kagome said as she looked around.

On the surface it seemed like an ordinary village, the women were busy at work as were most of the men that they saw. Many would stop to gather and talk when the group past by them. The only thing that seemed off was the pace of the work of the men, most seemed barely able to stand for any significant amount of time.

"There does seem to be an ominous cloud over this village." Miroku added as they made their way through.

InuYasha sighed, "Do you sense any jewel shards Kagome?"

Kagome concentrated for a moment, "…I'm not sure. But nothing in the village"

"You're not sure?" InuYasha stopped walking, "How can you-"

"I don't know," Kagome interrupted him, annoyed at the situation herself, and returned to concentrating, "It's like there is one near, but I can't tell were it is."

"Perhaps someone in this village knows something." Miroku stopped in front of the head mans house, causing the rest of the group to stop as well.

"Not again." InuYasha grumbled.

"There really is something odd here, InuYasha." Kagome persuaded. "Maybe it's connected to a shard."

"Feh."

Miroku was already talking with the head mans wife.

"There has been something strange about the men lately," The women explained, "At first we thought it was an illness, but no women or children or elderly contracted it. The men won't discuss it with us, and now some of the men fall asleep and don't wake up. My husband has been asleep for several days now, please help us!"

"May I see him?" He asked.

"Follow me." She led him to the room where her husband lay in a deep sleep.

*

Later that evening, Kagome gazed at the mountains just passed the village trying to figure out where the sensation of a shard was coming from. She was tired from the day's journey, but that shouldn't be keeping her from locating the shard.

Miroku had requested a meeting of all the "afflicted" men from the village, and Kagome, Sango and Shippo had been asked to leave before they would tell him anything. InuYasha and Kirara had left on their own, not caring to leave the girls and child alone in the quickly darkening evening with an unknown youkia running around. Or just not caring, period.

When the darkness prevented Kagome from staring at the mountains any longer she sighed and rubbed her temples. All that fruitless searching had given her a bit of a headache.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Miroku asked as he came out of the house.

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired." Kagome smiled at him. "So, what's going on? Is it a youkia?"

  
"I think so." Miroku motioned for them to follow him to the room the head mans wife had agreed to give them. "The men have been plagued with dreams of late. Apparently…" he paused, trying to find a delicate way to phrase this while everyone settled on the floor.

"Apparently," he started again, "A female youkia with goat eyes and horns, has been entering their dreams and… and when they wake up they feel drained of energy. It started out slowly, but over the last week it has started happening almost everynight. And now some of the men aren't waking up."

"What does the youkia do?" Sango asked.

"… They weren't that clear on that. They didn't want to talk to me at all." Miroku explained. "And many of them had no memories of the youkia, just a lingering feeling and lack of energy. All they would say is that she did something to them, that she made them do something."

"How do we fight a youkia that invades dreams?" InuYasha asked, he had never heard of anything like that.

"I'm not sure." Miroku looked at Sango, who shrugged. "I'm going to bless the house tonight, and I suggest that we look for that shard Kagome senses tomorrow. Hopefully that will put an end to these attacks."

*

They ate once Miroku had returned from blessing the house and assuring that _they_ at least wouldn't be attacked tonight.

Kagome was feeling that familiar drained feeling from before. Why, she couldn't tell. The first time she had kissed InuYasha the numbness had taken days to return.

Maybe she was just stressed. It had been a while sense she had seen her family, or school.

She had been sitting next to InuYasha all evening, looking forward to getting to bed, and the kiss. Any nervousness she might have felt now was damped down by the swiftly returning numbness.

Kagome yawned, "Good night Sango, Miroku. Good night Shippo."

Sango wasn't as nervous about Miroku this time around, and remembered to grab Shippo to prevent him seeing something that he was too young for. Never mind that he had seen the first three, he wasn't going to witness this one.

"Good night InuYasha." Kagome turned to see him looking at her expectantly. She blushed as she moved toward him.

He leaned down to her and gently pressed his lips to hers. She leaned into the kiss and squeaked. She really did like the way his lips felt on hers.

The energy flowed strong from the moment their lips met. Quickly it leaped from InuYasha and into Kagome. And, almost as quickly, from Kagome to somewhere else. But the two were too caught up in the kiss to notice the imbalance. Deep down, where he _was_ aware of it, he didn't care, if Kagome needed it he would give it to her. Even if she couldn't give it back.

InuYasha, dizzy from the exchange, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him.

Miroku blinked; there was something wrong this time. Something was defiantly off, something about Kagome and InuYasha's auras', though he couldn't quite tell what it was.

The kiss didn't last much longer, and when they separated Kagome stumbled straight to her sleeping bag. Sango released Shippo, who gave her a dirty look before running off to snuggle up to Kagome.

InuYasha struggled to stand and finally managed to make his way to the wall on the boys' side of the room, quickly falling into a deep sleep.

Miroku frowned.

*

A/N: You know, this was supposed to be a simple what if, no longer than three chapters long, like "Boxed In", about Kagome having withdrawals from her separation from the crystal. But, before I could even set ink to paper (so to speak) Sorrell popped full grown from my head and said, "Hey, I can use that!" *Sigh * 

And now it's getting more complicated. I know every thing about this story, right up until the last chapter, when I start to hit my head against the wall. It's my no "free lunch" policy I guess.


	7. Sorrell Returns

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Chapter 6: Sorrell Returns

Kagome woke InuYasha for breakfast the next morning, a fact that InuYasha chose to ignore. It was decided that they would all travel in the direction that Kagome believed the jewel shard was and hopefully find the "dream youkia" as well.

The group followed as Kagome lead them slowly away from the village, acting a little like she was walking on thin ice.

The day wore on and they seemed no closer to either of their goals. And the speed of Kagome's search was infuriating even to the most patient of them.

"Can't you do any better than this bitch?" InuYasha yelled, as the afternoon grew old.

"Quiet!" Kagome shouted back, "I'm trying to concentrate."

InuYasha sighed, "Whatever wench, you concentrate. I'm taking a break." InuYasha sat down under a nearby tree and half closed his eyes.

Kagome closed her eyes and continued her slow forward movement, taking one step, then another, and another. Then she stopped. Her head tilted a little and she took a step back, then another. Slowly she backed over land she had crossed not long ago, past the lounging InuYasha. Far enough past him that he was forced to get up and follow or loose sight of her.

Once she reached a small clearing that they had past a few hours earlier she stopped again. Kagome turned and studied the meadow, the forest beyond and the mountain beyond that. This was the source.

"Kagome?" Miroku asked, "Have you located the shard?"

"Look." Kagome said, indicating the forest with her eyes.

Miroku, and the others, looked. At first he didn't see anything, then he realized it was… creepy. The energy of the forest was being used to form an energy "fog", and, like a thick fog that dampens and confuses sight and sound, it was dampening and confusing the flow of energy that tried to pass through it. Since it was not a proper "spirit shield", emanating from the energy of the forest itself instead of from the being that created it, it was not tainted with the energy of the caster. Because of this there was no "dark cloud" effect, and only a mild creepyness indicated that the creature behind the "fogs" formation was less than good.

"The shard is in that forest… on that mountain, somewhere." Kagome whispered.

"Then lets get in there! Come on!" InuYasha jumped in front of the miko and the monk.

Kagome shook her head, "I'm not making camp in that forest InuYasha, it's creepy."

"So?" InuYasha turned on her, "That's where the shard is, lets go get it!"

"No InuYasha," Kagome insisted, "there's only a few hours of sunlight left, I'm worn out _and_ I'm not camping in there! If we hurry we can make it back to the village before the sun sets." Kagome turned around and headed through the trees that lay between the clearing and the village.

Sango, Shippo and Kirara followed after her. Miroku shrugged and joined the females. InuYasha crossed his arms and set his face firmly in a pout before following reluctantly behind them.

*

"We should reach the clearing by mid morning, if we start out at sunrise." Kagome said, figuring the time it had taken them to get back.

"We'd be there _now_ if you hadn't gotten scared." InuYasha scowled over his dinner.

"Actually, I agree with Kagome, InuYasha." Miroku said, "It would be unwise to camp outside with an unknown youkia that attacks in dreams, especially since we have a sealed house only a few hours walk from the site."

"Feh."

"InuYasha," Kagome knelt beside him, "I just want to feel safe tonight. That forest really creeped me out. I don't think I could sleep in there, and we all have to be rested to fight whatever has the shard."

"I protect you Kagome." InuYasha said to her softly.

"I know." Kagome smiled, then yawned, "It's about that time again, huh?" she looked at him shyly.

"Yeah." InuYasha leaned towards her, wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her against him. The moment their lips touched, the energy flow spiked once again. From InuYasha to Kagome, from Kagome to… elsewhere.

Feeling light-headed, they deepened their kiss. Kagome ran her hands through his hair and nibbled at his lips hungrily. InuYasha licked at her lips and she took the opportunity to capture his tongue.

One of his hands traveled down from her waist to her thigh just bellow her skirt and squeezed lightly. They let their hands wander and their lungs starve in a frantic attempt to consume each other, and still it wasn't enough.

Eventually survival won out and they were forced to retreat for air. It was then that Kagome remembered the others in the room. Sheepishly she turned her head to face them. InuYasha just bowed his head to her shoulder, panting.

Sango hadn't meant to watch, but once she had Shippo's eyes covered she had cast a glance at them. They had become so passionate so quickly that she had become transfixed, a small blush creeping across her face. Now that Kagome sat there looking at her so… innocently, she felt… guilty.

Miroku had no such feelings. He had become suspicious of Kagome's "goodnight kisses" last night, and now looked on with scientific separation. Mostly.

It was about then, after watching Sango turn away blushing, that Kagome first noticed the position she was in with InuYasha.

Besides his head resting in the crook of her neck as he continued to try to catch his breath, she had ended up in his lap, straddling his waist. One of his hands was still on the small of her back, but the other had moved up her thigh and under her skirt. She had one hand resting innocently enough on his shoulder, the other however had found it's way under his shirt to explore his bare chest beneath.

She crawled out of that situation so fast InuYasha almost fell forward on the floor.

"Uh, sorry everyone, I don't know…" Kagome backed up to her futon, "sorry, goodnight!" and she pulled the covers over her head.

"What?" Shippo chirped, "What happened? What did I miss? Why do you guys keep covering my eyes? I want to know what's going on!"

"As do I." Miroku stated evenly. He was studying the now deeply sleeping hanyou that leaned against the same wall where he had kissed Kagome.

"What are you talking about." Sango protested, "It was just another kiss you pervert."

"No, Sango." Miroku looked at her sternly, "That was not just another kiss. Men don't fall asleep like _that_ after a kiss like that." He indicated the still fast asleep InuYasha. "And Kagome usually doesn't climb into his lap like that. Something is wrong here Sango, I think we should find out what it is before it goes any farther."

"Leave it alone Miroku," Sango pleaded quietly, "this is between the two of them. Let them figure it out."

Miroku considered Sango, "Perhaps."

*

"Wake up InuYasha! The sun is up and we have food." Kagome ended up having to shake him.

"What?" He rubbed his hand over his eyes, "Let's get moving then."

InuYasha ate his breakfast quickly and soon they were ready to leave again. But the head mans wife had different plans. She stopped them just outside of their room.

"Last night another village man was attacked." She said, "He can barely move. You told us you would protect us, you said that you would get rid of the youkia. Please stop the attacks."

"We're going into the mountains to find this youkia," Miroku assured her, "we _will_ stop the attacks."

"You went into the mountains yesterday. We need to be safe now!" she insisted, "Please bless this village like you blessed this house. We can't afford to lose more men!"

"But-"

"Please houshi-sama."

Kagome sighed, "Miroku? Could you stay and help these people? We can handle this ourselves. It's only one shard."

Miroku paused and thought about it, he wanted to confront Kagome and InuYasha on their "goodnight kisses". "I'll catch with the rest of you tonight. There's something I wanted to talk with you about."

Kagome nodded, a bit confused before adding, "Can Shippo stay here too? To um… help?"

Miroku sighed but nodded again, obviously since they would be out one fighter, it would be best to leave the child where it was safe.

"Of course, Kagome. Come on Shippo, lets go." He then continued on his way. Shippo pouted, but went along with it.

Kagome, InuYasha, and Sango left the village along the path they had made yesterday and worked there was back to the clearing.

*

"See? That didn't take too long." Kagome said merrily, "Now we just have to search that creepy wood for that jewel shard and kill a youkia. Piece of cake."

"Feh." InuYasha replied.

Kagome shook her head and yawned as InuYasha took the lead again.

"I'm not sure we should be doing this without Miroku." Sango told Kagome.

"We'll be fine." Kagome smiled, "I have my arrows and InuYasha has his sword and you have… your arsenal."

She tried to sound upbeat but as soon as they crossed into the "fog" the eerieness enveloped them and brought an uncomfortable silence to the group.

The forest was thick, and dark, and silent as well. InuYasha happened on a thin trail that had a strange smell around it and decided to follow that farther up the mountain. Before too long they found another clearing in the woods, this one had short pale grass and some sickly, thorny shrubs scattered around it. A dark pall seemed to hang over the meadow and the forest beyond, but it was probably the storm that was gathering above them.

"What _is_ this place?" Kagome shuddered.

InuYasha scowled, one hand on his sword, "Do you sense the shard Kagome?"

Kagome concentrated, " Up ahead, farther up the mountain."

"Let's go then." He started crossing the clearing when there was an unearthly shriek.

"What was that?" Kagome asked as she readied an arrow.

The others didn't respond, but readied their weapons as well.

A group of ten wraithlike youkia advanced on them from the shrubs, their mouths hung open as if they lacked the strength to close them, their eyes were baggy and their skin as gray and worn as the ragged sackcloth that covered their gaunt frames.

"Kagome?" InuYasha barked.

"They don't have it!" Kagome yelled her answer, pulling her bow tight.

The youkia surrounded them, five on InuYasha, three on Sango and the last two on Kagome. Sango dispatched two with her boomerang right away, but the third one caught the weapon and tossed it into the woods.

InuYasha swung his sword heavily missing his attackers miserably.

Kagome managed to miss on her first shot and was forced to run away while attempting to ready another arrow. She saw Sango fighting one with her sword and having a little difficulty, these things moved slow but dodged fast. Kagome loosed her hard won arrow at Sango's attacker and hit her mark. The youkia exploded in a red light and sizzling chunks rained down on the battlefield.

'That's not right.' Kagome thought as the two creatures following her caught up.

Sango looked around when the youkia blew up, and saw Kagome standing near by with a startled look on her face and two youkia catching up to her. Sango jumped into action and managed to take one down before it reached Kagome, who dodged quickly. But the other one swung around to scratch Sango in the side, leaving four deep gashes before Kagome could stab it with a charged arrow.

Once again it exploded in a red light.

InuYasha was on the other side of the clearing during all this. He had to abandon his sword and resort to claws and fists. He seemed much slower than usual and by the time that Sango and Kagome were free from pursuers, InuYasha still had two working on him. The girls watched as he tiredly sliced up the last two creatures and sat down panting in the grass.

"InuYasha?' Kagome panted, "Are you alright?"

'What the hell is wrong with me?' InuYasha thought, looking at his hand, 'I shouldn't be this tired.'

Kagome and Sango walked over to him, Kagome sat heavily next to him, "Were you wounded?" she asked again.

InuYasha shook his head, " No, what about you two?"

Kagome shook her head, "Sango?"

"I… I got scratched," she gasped, a numbness was crawling out from the wound, "I think I've been poisoned."

"You killed the snake bush." Sorrell appeared coming from the mountain, "Don't worry Sango, It will ware off, if nothing kills you while your defenseless. That's how the snake brush works, it scratches it's victims they fall and the youkia kills them and drags them back, feeding the bush that feeds them. They wouldn't have attacked them selves but they seem to have been very hungry."

"Who the hell are you?" InuYasha attempted to stand, but stumbled back to the ground.

Sorrell smiled at him, "I am Sorrell. You are InuYasha, I already know Kagome and Sango."

Sorrell walked up to the group panting on the ground and grabbed Kagome by her shirt collar. "Come along young one, it's about time you return to me, as it seems you have exhausted your source." She pulled Kagome a few feet from the others, back towards the mountain.

"Let go of her!" InuYasha yelled.

"You are in no position to tell me what to do, _hanyou_." Sorrell spat, "It's all your fault anyway."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" InuYasha tried once again to stand up with less success than before.

Sorrell dropped Kagome and turned on InuYasha her eyes flashing a putrid green, "you sit there on your branch, as content as a prince to let Kagome give you everything; her love, her energy, her life. And you took it all for granted.

"When you were injured she bandaged you. When you were insulted she defended you. When you were weak she held you up. When you were conflicted she calmed you. And how do you repay her kindness? You insult her, cuss at her and run off to give tender words and warm embraces to the fracture of a spirit.

"And she _forgives_ you," Sorrell shook her head in disbelief, "she forgives your every insult, harsh word and thoughtless action and overlooks your transgressions just so she can be near you."

"She's the one-" InuYasha started weakly, his hand griping the hilt of his sword.

"And you allow her to," Sorrell hissed at him, "_You_ allow her to stay. _You_ always accept her kindness. _You_ take her comfort. You let her think she has a _chance _with you, and then you step on her on your way to the other one. She's too good for you, half-breed. She'll be better off with me, and our little brother." Sorrell turned to face the forest and Kohaku walked forwards. "Please take our sister home, Kohaku."

"Kohaku!" Sango struggled against her own sluggish body to reach him.

"He doesn't have any memory's that don't involve me" Sorrell turned her now passive expression on Sango, "You are so blind Sango. You love your brother so much that you sacrificed your friend on the word of a youkia, you didn't even _question_ my motives." Sorrell smirked evilly, "Why would _I_, with a youkia's life span, save a _human_ to be my family?" then her expression softened, "But don't worry, Kohaku will live a long and happy life as one of _us_."

Sorrell turned from the paralyzed and crying Sango, and the cursing and once again struggling InuYasha and followed Kohaku and Kagome up the mountain to her cave.

*

A/N: I always try to update once a week, I'll try even harder to get the next chapter out next week, Ok?


	8. Battle for Kagome

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Chapter 7: The Battle for Kagome

"Drink your broth Kagome." Sorrell held up a small bowl of thin vegetable broth for Kagome.

Kagome crossed her arms and shook her head, "NO, leave me alone!"

She was reclining on a bed roll on a small shelf in the wall of Sorrell's cave with many "herb" pillows, filled with flowers and flea bane and the like, strewn around her in an attempt to make her comfortable. As well as aid her transformation.

Sorrell sighed and placed the bowl to the side, "It isn't for me really. I shouldn't care. You see, the less food you eat the faster you become like me. I only want this to be as easy on you as possible Kagome dear."

Kagome turned to Sorrell, "How… how did you know? That stuff about InuYasha and me, how did you know?"

Sorrell smiled at her soon to be sister, "I do not rush into anything Kagome, I can't waist energy. I can't use youki, like you have. I must use the meager power I can pull from human males. So I learned how to manipulate the energy of others using only a little of my own to start things out.

"You want to know how I knew? I saw you, naive and weak, and I knew I could help you, show you the your error in trusting and loving a male, like you do. But I had to know more, like, why did he not return your attentions? So I sought answers. There are witnesses that everyone over looks, and that hide for fear becoming lunch, they need not fear me and I have learned what they like, or want.

"The more I learned, the more determined I became to help you, and the more able I became to convince you."

Sorrell finished her speech and handed Kagome her broth again. This time she took it.

"It's not like that." Kagome said as she drank the cold tasteless broth, "Between InuYasha and me, it isn't that bad."

Sorrell shook her head, "It is the truth as I see it Kagome, I can not lie." Sorrell collected the empty bowl from her and started arranging the pillows around Kagome, "But things will get better, once the transformation is complete you will see men for what they really are. Pigs. Selfish consumers only good for the energy they can provide us."

"…If you feel this way, about men, then why take Kohaku?" Kagome asked, as she was settled into the bedding, "Why not set him free?"

"He is not yet a man Kagome," Sorrell answered, amused, "and has not yet developed their destructive habits. Once he is old enough, I will transform him into our male counterpart, and he will not be a human man. It may seem a strange family for me, but the conditions were right, and I had to distract that _Hanyou thing_ so that he would think I would help him on _his_ terms."

"Is he healed now?" Kagome asked, "Kohaku, I mean."

"We are still using your energy to finish him up, that's why you're so tired." Sorrell stood and walked to her spell, "It would be have been easier on us all if you had not broken your connection to InuYasha. My pets need more time to process the decaying snake bush and it's youkia, then if they had simply sucked the life out of them. He's sure to come after you soon. I had hoped to have more power behind me when that happens."

"He will come for me." Kagome said tiredly as she began to drift to sleep, "And he will save me."

Sorrell took the empty bowl from Kagome and smiled complacently at her, "We will see who will save you."

*

Miroku had found Sango and InuYasha just before sunset. Sango had still been crying, and was unable to move due to the poison in her veins. It had taken him quiet a while to get the story out of InuYasha. He was almost completely drained of energy and just kept yelling at Miroku to "get Kagome back _NOW_!"

Miroku knew better than to go into battle without knowing what he was up against; and when he found out that the creature called Sorrell was possibly as devious as Naraku himself, he knew they had to have their strength with them. Besides Miroku had no way of finding Sorrell's hide out in the confusing energy fog that she set up.

And then there was Sango's condition, and InuYasha's. He couldn't leave them like that, paralyzed and defenseless to _any_ creature that might be looking for dinner.

So he brought them back to the village.

That was two days ago.

The villagers themselves were once again happy to support their group, since there were no more "attacks" and the village men were beginning to recover. InuYasha was a pain, as usual, and Sango rarely spoke. But they were both recovering.

"Why the hell aren't you out there looking for Kagome, buzo!" InuYasha yelled when Miroku brought some food to his warded recovery room.

Miroku sighed, "As soon as you are well, InuYasha, we will all return to the forest and rescue Kagome. Until then you must regain your strength."

InuYasha started to yell again but Miroku cut him off, "Your nose is the only chance we have of locating Kagome and the youkia." Miroku paused to think things through, "Sango appears to be much better, I believe that we can leave tomorrow."

"Let me out of here, Miroku!" InuYasha growled.

"Tomorrow, InuYasha." Miroku closed the door as he left.

When he entered Sango's room she was sitting up, staring at the opposite wall.

"Sango? Are you well?" Miroku asked, taking a seat next to her.

"Yes. I want to go get Kohaku and Kagome away from that woman." Sango continued to stare at the wall.

"I saw you practicing with Hiraikotsu today. If you feel up to it we will leave at first light." Miroku refrained from putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, "She doesn't want to hurt them Sango. She want's them alive and happy."

"She's a vile youkia, Miroku." Sango shook her head, "She's going to change them to be like her. We must save them."

"Of course Sango," Miroku said, "but, you must rest if we hope to rescue them." He motioned to her futon.

"Your right." Sango sighed, then said, "You can go to your side of the room now."

"Ah Sango! I had every intention to sleep on my side of the room." Miroku put on his "innocent" face and moved to his side to rest for the upcoming day. At least Sango had regained her spirit. If only the same could be said for InuYasha.

*

Sorrell sang a song in her language while she and Kohaku picked herbs for Kagome's broth. The sun shone beautifully through the leaves of the canopy of the forest where it bordered what was once the Snake bush meadow, casting a healthy green sheen to the air below. It reminded Sorrell of her home in the swamp, but without the decay. Soon she would return there, with her new family.

Her home, she smiled into the sun, its light warmed her face. Her home, where the air was thick with life and death, birth and decay. And the energy produced by these acts hung so heavily in the air you could reach out and touch it; you could taste it when you breathed. If only she could consume it, she sighed.

Kohaku ran ahead through the high grass of the meadow, laughing at the bugs that fled from him.

Sorrell called out to him, "Kohaku, stay on this side, and gather the herbs to help sister Kagome. You can play later."

Kohaku nodded and returned to Sorrell's side, "I'm sorry, sister Sorrell, it's just so beautiful today."

"I know." Sorrell began to sing her song of harvest again. She had no doubt that InuYasha, Sango, and that annoying monk would come looking for her, to "rescue" her family.

Sorrell scowled, it was good that the monk had not come with them that day, after all she had no hold on him, and he would have protected the others. But now her source was blocked and she would have to make do with the stockpile of energy that she had on hand. And her pets were too weak; she would have to give up some of her precious excess energy for them to do what she wanted. Hopefully they would come soon, while they were still suffering from the last attack.

InuYasha, Sango, Miroku and even Shippo appeared on the opposite side of the meadow, almost as if summoned by her thoughts. There was a brief surprised pause while both groups realized the other was there.

"Where's Kagome?" InuYasha yelled as he drew and transformed his sword.

"Safe." Sorrell said evenly, "Kohaku, stand back."

Kohaku ran to the trees on Sorrell's side of the meadow and crouched to watch the battle.

"Kohaku!" Sango shouted at her younger brother.

"He does not know you." Sorrell stood, stoic and straight, her arms at her sides, while the others crouched for battle.

"Give them back to us you bitch!" InuYasha snarled.

"You're empty, InuYasha." Sorrell smirked, "You don't stand a chance."

Sango could take it no longer, she had to kill this woman and get her brother back. She threw Hiraikotsu at Sorrell with as much force as she could, "Shut up!" she yelled.

Sorrell brought up an energy shield just in time to repel Sango's attack and cause the weapon to veer wildly back at her. Sango was unable to catch or dodge it and powerfully hit, she fell to the ground and the air was knocked out of her.

'Shit.' Sorrell thought, 'That took more energy than I thought. I must activate my pets sooner then I wanted.' She watched quietly as Shippo was dragged down by her vampire vines.

She smiled when she addressed the rest, "Is that it? Is that all you can do children?"

InuYasha growled. Sango should have waited, _he's_ the impulsive one that _they_ back up. He hadn't been prepared for Sango's reaction to Sorrell. He lunged weakly at Sorrell, swinging his sword clumsily.

Sorrell actually laughed at InuYasha as she caused energy to explode right in front of her just before his sword hit. This burned his hands and pushed her out of the way in time to escape unhurt.

Sorrell was no warrior. In fact she went through a lot of trouble to avoid fighting. All she had was her tricks with energy. And her necessarily showy displays cost her dearly. She would need to feed after this.

As Sorrell watched InuYasha struggle to ready another attack, Miroku threw his purifying papers at her. She managed to dodge most of them, but one managed to burn her arm badly.

Sorrell pulled tendrils of energy around her enemies, calling her vampire vines to them.

Sango had recovered by this point and the three of them were getting ready for a joint attack, when a host of thorny vines wrapped around their arms, legs, waists, and necks pulling them on their backs in the high grass of the meadow. The thorns dug into their skin as the vines slowly tightened around their necks.

Sorrell stood still for a moment, panting. From her vantagepoint she could not InuYasha or his friends. She frowned; she wanted to see his face when she taunted him with his failure.

"My pets can not sap the life out of humans." She explained, as she caught her breath "They feed on youki. So, as long as you do not agitate them into choking you to death, even you InuYasha, _hanyou_, will survive until they lose interest and release you…. I can not say the same for your kitsune. Ah, well, such is life. By the time you get free Kagome will beyond your "help". Kohaku come, we must return to our sister." Sorrell turned and watched as her "little brother" ran up to her.

"I remembered the herbs, sister Sorrell." He said happily.

Sorrell said in a low voice, "Quiet Kohaku, something wicked this way comes."

Soon a figure covered in a baboon cloak walked into the field perpendicular to the battle scene.

"Naraku." Sorrell said unaffectedly, "You're early."


	9. Naraku’s Betrayal

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

A/N: For those who may have forgotten Sorrell's "Human" appearance, and want to know, check out the prologue "To Make A Friend".

Chapter 8: Naraku's Betrayal

"I am here for my shard, and the boy." Naraku droned.

"I was promised the boy as my prize." Sorrell said coolly, her eyes dangerously narrowed.

"You promised to devastate InuYasha, and sully the shard." Naraku continued, "InuYasha and his group came into this forest to kill you, he does not seem devastated to me."

"Give me time Naraku." Sorrell sneered, "InuYasha is weak, his group is crippled. I can handle them, I will not fail you."

Naraku gave an evil chuckle, "If you faced InuYasha he would kill you easily."

"Don't underestimate me." Sorrell lifted her chin, "Where is he? I will go and end him now, but only if you tell me where he is."

Naraku was silent for a moment, "I can not see in your forest Sorrell. He is close."

"Leave the hanyou to me, leave my forest, I will finish what I started." Sorrell stated.

Thunder rolled, announcing the imminent appearance of a summer storm. The tall, black clouds were just barely visible over the trees. The wind picked up, brining with it the fresh smell of hot rain.

"I have run out of patience with you Sorrell," Naraku raised his voice, "I'm taking back my shard and the boy now!"

A tentacle shot out from under Naraku's cloak aimed for Sorrell. Sorrell gave another burst of energy that destroyed the tentacle just before it reached her. The storm clouds darkened the sky above them as she readied a ball of energy to throw at him, but he already had another tentacle rushing toward Kohaku.

"He's more useful to me dead." Naraku said.

Sorrell threw the energy at the tentacle dissolving it before it reached the boy. Miasma spewed out the stump and Kohaku stumbled back coughing.

Sorrell frowned, she forgot that the human wouldn't be immune to Naraku's poison like she was.

Naraku chuckled, "You are very weak now Sorrell, give me the shard."

"No." Sorrell replied calmly, "You seem determined to underestimate me, Naraku."

Sorrell was nearly out of energy, but she had some tricks left. Too bad her pets were all preoccupied. 

Naraku sent out more tentacles at Sorrell and Kohaku, Sorrell managed to deflect or destroy most of his attacks, but her energy reserves were almost spent. Yet another tentacle sped toward Kohaku. Sorrell was out of reserve, the great amount of energy she needed to deflect the wicked appendage just wasn't there, and she couldn't blow it up with out exposing Kohaku to more miasma.

With no time to think, Sorrell used some of her remaining energy to push herself into the path of the tentacle. It tore through her midsection and would have continued on to pierce Kohaku if she hadn't sunk her nails into it, and sent electric waves of energy through it.

On the ground, not six feet away from her, InuYasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo lay pinned to the ground, having their youki drained. They could only listen to the battle going on above them. Suddenly they heard Sorrell cry out, "Kohaku, the vines!"

They heard the quiet clanging of a chain shortly before Kohaku's sickle came down and sliced through the vines that were holding them down and choking them.

Rain fell hard and heavy on the battlefield as the restrained warriors stood and readied to attack. Before them stood Sorrell, impaled by a tentacle, and Naraku, in his baboon cloak. Kohaku had retreated to the trees again, holding his sickle on a chain.

"Naraku!" InuYasha shouted. He held his untransformed sword in front of him. "You bastard!"

Naraku turned to look at InuYasha "Perhaps I did underestimate you, Sorrell. But it doesn't matter, now I will get rid of InuYasha my self."

However, Naraku _over_ estimated the amount of damage that Sorrell had inflicted during her battle with them. InuYasha managed to transform his sword and lunge at him, Sango threw her Hiraikotsu and rushed him with her own sword. Shippo… sat down, dizzy from his struggle with the youki sucking vines, but watchful in case he might be useful in the battle. Miroku stood by prepared to jump in as well.

Naraku was taken by surprise, he thought that Sorrell would have worn them out more. He ducked Hiraikotsu and Sango's sword. InuYasha was the one to cut Naraku cleanly through the middle and caused him to dissipate into a wooden doll.

"SHIT!" InuYasha shouted. He leaned on his scabbard for balance and glared at the severed pieces of wood.

Sorrell gave a choked laugh, "Did you… think Naraku… would come himself? … He couldn't even… see what he… was walking into."

The group turned on Sorrell, weapons drawn, again ready for a fight. Sorrell waved her arms in front of her dismissively. She was leaning against a tree gasping for breath; her toga stuck to her from the falling rain, and the dark spot that grew over her stomach. Some of the dark liquid was mixed with the rain and traveled to the ground, farther staining the fabric.

"Don't bother," She said, "I'm already dead."

"Where is Kagome?" InuYasha yelled.

"Safe, in my cave… on the mountain…. Follow the trail… the cave is just off… hidden." Sorrell closed her eyes.

"Why are you telling us this now?" Miroku asked. He didn't trust Sorrell, she may have set a trap for them on the mountain.

Sorrell opened her eyes, "I'm … dying. Kagome … needs protection… she's weak…. Better you then _him_." She reached into her toga and pulled out a slightly red jewel shard. "Here, I don't… want this."

She tossed the shard at the group.

"Couldn't you use that to heal yourself?" Miroku asked as he watched InuYasha put the tainted shard in his haori.

Sorrell shook her head, "Youki… feminine."

"What?" Miroku turned his attention back to Sorrell.

"The jewel has youki… _and_ human energy, but … I can't use youki or feminine energy." Sorrell stood up and took a few steps in the direction Naraku's puppet came from.

"So you _were_ the youkia that was… attacking the village men." Miroku stated coldly.

Sorrell turned back to face him, "We all have to eat Houshi….I needed to prepare. I'm going to get Naraku, … for killing me. You get Kagome, take care of her."

InuYasha tried to go after her but Miroku stopped him, "You are in no condition to fight her or Naraku, InuYasha. Besides, now Kagome is alone on the mountain. We'll get them latter."

Sorrell soon disappeared in the pouring rain.

"Kohaku?" Sango's voice rang out from the trees where her younger brother was last seen. "Kohaku! Come out!"

Miroku looked around the meadow, "Perhaps he returned to the cave, to help Kagome."

InuYasha sniffed at the air experimentally; the hard rain would have washed away any sent trail that the boy might have left. All he could smell was the rain.

"Let's find Kagome." InuYasha started up the path to Sorrell's forest.

"Kohaku was just here!" Sango shook her head violently, "I have to find him."

"He didn't know you Sango," Miroku said gently, "he does know Kagome. It is likely that he returned to her after the battle."

Sango nodded reluctantly and followed InuYasha. Miroku put an arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

*

A/N: Yay! Someone said they like Sorrell! I like her too. 

Here's the deal, the next will probebly be the last chapter in this "book. It will be at least as short as this one but that can't be helped if things are going to go the way I want them to.

Stay tuned for Chapter 9: Sorrell's Revenge and Kagome's Reprieve.


	10. Sorrell’s Revenge and Kagome’s Reprieve

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Chapter 9: Sorrell's Revenge and Kagome's Reprieve

Naraku languidly walked through the woods near his current castle. He was far from the storm that pelted the small group of weary warriors, who were still searching for their missing member. The sun was setting in his lands, and he was not happy. Sorrell was weak, she should have been easy to kill.

Instead she had managed to keep secret the presents of his most annoying foes, and use them to her benefit.

He was so caught up in his thoughts of Sorrell's aggravating way of getting the best out of every situation, that he didn't notice the thorny vines that curled nearer to him, following his youki.

Suddenly, the vines jumped, imprisoning his wrists, ankles, neck and waist in their spiky grip. Their thorns pricked into his skin as they pulled him quickly into a dimly lit cave and secured him on his back to the rock sheet where they were rooted. When he tried to move, the thorns dug deeper into his skin. He could feel the slight pull on his energy, and a peculiar numbness when he tried to access his powers.

"I told you not to underestimate me, Naraku." Sorrell said from the shadows near the back of the cave, "Did you think that I could not follow the thread of energy from your puppet to you?"

Naraku tried to speak, but the vines around his neck cut off his voice.

"I don't really want to hear it." Sorrell sounded bored, "You killed me, I can't heal this wound. But I _can_ make you pay."

Sorrell stepped into the dim light and approached Naraku slowly. She still wore her toga and her hair was done in her usual way. However now two thick, dark red horns were rooted just over her temples, and grew along her skull to curl up at the gold band in her hair. Her eyes were now a vibrant pale yellow, her irises shaped like a starburst with uneven rays and a sickening shade of green, her pupils were black slits laying sideways, like a goats. Her nails grew from her fingers as long curved tubes, like snake's fangs.

"Like what you see?" She smiled wickedly, "My true form. I'm too weak to hold my other form right now. But this one serves my purposes here perfectly."

She knelt beside him, "I know, I can't use youki. But I can draw it," she leaned over him to look into his face, "I can scatter it, change it. You want power so much you would betray your allies to get it? Well, Naraku, I'm gonna suck you dry, pull out your youki and feed of that human heart until I get every last drop."

She leaned over him and whispered in his ear, "I'm going to show you why they call me a nightmare."

*

The storm had gone on into the night. InuYasha and the others walked dully along the narrow path through the woods and kept a look out for any clues that might lead them to Sorrell's cave.

InuYasha pulled himself along by will alone, he felt numb, more so then the day Sorrell took Kagome. He was unable to muster all of the emotion he knew he should feel at the moment. He knew he was worried about Kagome, he knew he wanted to kill Sorrell, and Naraku, for what they had put them through. But he couldn't express those feelings without it feeling hollow. All he wanted now was to find Kagome and get out of the rain.

Miroku had the job of carrying a depressed and drained Shippo. Shippo was in a similar condition as InuYasha, only slightly less, because his energy hadn't been being drained for days before the vampire vines started on him. Currently he was sleeping in Miroku's arms.

Sango was in a state of manic worry. Her eyes dodged over the scenery in search of her missing brother.

Finally, after hours in the drenching rain, some disturbance in the brush along the mountain path led InuYasha into the forest. Carefully they picked their way through the undergrowth until they found the cave. It was just a hole in the side of a mountain, big enough for two tall adults to walk through.

Sango rushed into the cave followed closely by InuYasha.

"Kohaku?" She called into the dimly lit dwelling.

There was no answer. The only person that could be seen lay on pillows on a stone pallet with her back to them. A solitary candle near her head.

"Kagome?" InuYasha walked past Sango, toward the silent figure.

"I told her," Kagome said weakly, "I told her you would save me."

"Where's Kohaku?" Sango asked desperately.

"… He left with Sorrell to get my herbs." Kagome replied.

InuYasha walked up to Kagome, "Come on Kagome, let's get back to the village."

"It's raining." Kagome said dully.

"Cut the crap, Kagome we're getting you out of this cave. Now turn around." InuYasha barked as harshly as he could under the circumstances.

Kagome sniffled, like she had been crying, and turned towards them. She looked at InuYasha sadly, "I'm Ok, really. It's just my eyes, they kind of burn, a little."

Kagome's eyes glittered in the light of the candle. In that light they could see within her large dark brown irises, a starburst with uneven rays, colored a sickening shade of green, surrounding her human pupil.

Everyone stared at her a moment before InuYasha spoke.

"Get up Kagome." InuYasha ordered, offering her his hand, "let's get back to the village."

*

Sorrell lay in yet another clearing, reclined against an old, knurly and comfortable tree, with a self-satisfied look on her face. She gazed up at the stars; she could see the Milky Way quite clearly tonight. She smirked as she raised one hand to her line of vision, too weak to move her head. That hand gingerly held a large chunk of the Shikon No Tama.

"My prize in all this." Sorrell said ruefully, "Take Naraku's power, pride, and jewel." She laughed.

She turned her attention back to the stars, "I did alright, in the end. Didn't I? I went out with a bang and dealt a big bad a devastating blow. I wish," She gasped as her lungs tried to close in on themselves again. Since the excitement of revenge wore off she was left with less energy, and a dying body.

"I wish I could have told them where I left him. They could finish him off now. Complete my revenge." she sighed, "I need something now. I wanted a family, and now there's the jewel." She glared at the sky, "He can not get the jewel! I can not keep it safe. And the boy…" her eyes started to close of their own accord, "… keep them… keep them safe…"

Sorrell's hand fell to the ground, and the jewel chunk rolled from her limp hand into the cool grass.

*

They managed to make it back to the village by sunrise. Soul weary and physically existed. The headman's wife once again gave them a room and they slept for most of the day. When they woke she brought them some food, which Kagome picked at.

"Kagome, eat." InuYasha said, when he noticed she hadn't been.

"I'm not hungry," Kagome sighed and handed Shippo her portion of fish, "Do you think I could get some vegetable broth?"

Miroku left to see if he could fulfill her request.

Sango turned to Kagome nervously, "What do you think happened to Kohaku?"

Kagome sighed, Sango was her friend, but after asking about her state once back in the cave, she kept giving her anxious glances. 'I guess she couldn't wait to grill me.' Kagome thought, 'Not that I can blame her.'

"You said that Sorrell was badly wounded, and told you guys to find me and take care of me, right?" Kagome paused, waiting. When Sango nodded she continued, "Then he probably went with her, to take care of her."

"You…you don't think Naraku…" Sango's voice faded away, unwilling to finish the thought.

"… I don't know," Kagome said regretfully, "I don't think Sorrell would let Naraku get him easily. She loved us…. In her way."

"What, what was it like," Sango asked. She was slightly sturdier now, that little piece of information gave her some hope that her brother was still alive and healthy somewhere, "Living with something like her?"

Kagome thought about this, "Well, … she didn't bring her work home or anything, so the "something like her" doesn't really come into. She was good to-… she was good to him. I guess she was good to me, I really think she was doing what she thought was best for me."

InuYasha, who had been listening to the conversation quietly, snorted.

Miroku came in with Kagome's broth and handed it to her.

"Thank you." She said, "Do you think I'll return to normal, Miroku?"

Miroku sat down, "I don't know, I don't see why not. Without Sorrell manipulating your energy, there should be nothing to continue the transformation."

Kagome finished her broth and put down the bowl, "I'm tired, I want to go home. I wish I could go home for a while."

InuYasha started, in all the confusion with Kagome's eyes and Kohaku's disappearance, not to mention his own exhaustion, he forgot to give Kagome Kohaku's jewel shard.

"Here." He said as he tossed the shard to her.

Kagome blinked it at, for a moment, "So that's what it was."

"Kagome?" Miroku asked.

Kagome smiled as she picked up the shard and it instantly purified, "I knew something was wrong, but couldn't figure it out. I was sensing Kohaku's shard for so long, I guess I became used to it. I'm so tired I didn't think how strange it was that he wasn't here, but the shard was."

Kagome looked at InuYasha with a big smile on her face, "I can go home? Just like that?"

"I want ramen." Was all InuYasha would say.

THE END.

A/N: THERE WILL BE A SORT OF, KIND OF, EPILOGUE THING. It will be up Tuesday some time.

I forgot to give Raye-Rei a chocolate cigar for spotting the quote from Macbeth ^_^ Congratulations! 

Kenkaya: I usually don't single out reviewers unless I'm handing out chocolate cigars, but I wanted you to know that I know what you mean about the problem expressing the emotions of the other characters. In a way it _was_ on purpose, this whole fic was written in muted colors (Like that move "Unbreakable"). But I do want to go back and clean it up.

That's actually one of the reasons I ended it here, not you, this decision was made a few chapters ago. I wanted to change the style a little, add color, and it wouldn't fit the rest of the story if I did. More on that tomorrow.

So review, and tune in tomorrow for the epilogue/side story thing, and more authors notes!


	11. After Story Confussion

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Epilogue: After Story Confusion

"That's IT?" A woman in her mid thirties jumped away from the wall she had been leaning against. Her curly white hair was teased up behind her curled bangs. Her dark pink eyes flashed in her very pale face when she yelled. She was wearing a black leather miniskirt and matching jacket, with a red shirt underneath, her high heals clicked on the stone floor of Gabriella's room as she moved toward the young Writer of Histories'. "That's all your going to write?"

Gabriela, who couldn't be more than 12 years old, just looked at her through eerily large, pale pink eyes, her very fine white hare fell in gentle fluffy waves over her shoulders. Slowly, silently, she turned to her desk. Her complexion rivaled Rachel's for paleness and she seemed to glow in the light of the candle that sat on her desk, near the pile of parchment she had been reading from. She reached over to the pile, her ink stained fingers caressed the edges of the documents, "Sorrell is dead, the history is done."

"Sorrell dies and Kagome goes home?" Rachael shook her head, "What about Naraku? Is he alive or dead? What about his chunk of the jewel? And where did Kohaku go? And InuYasha and Kagome? What about _them_?"

"She has a point, Gabriela." A voice traveled from the small black box on the edge of her desk, "You did kind of leave us hanging on a lot of things."

The box had a large clear crystal set neatly into it's top, from inside the box a light made it's way through the crystal and projected the image of a small group of pale white hared pink eyed people into the air above.

Gabriella looked into the flickering image of her remote audience, "The History of Sorrell and Kagome is over. Sorrell is dead."

"What about all that other stuff?" Another viewer asked from the box.

"I told you in the history." Gabriela picked up her quill and examined the tip.

"Ah! No, you didn't," Rachel smiled triumphantly, waving her index finger in the air. "You implied some of that stuff, but you didn't say. And we all know what that means."

The Audience nodded.

"What really happened after they returned to Keade's village?" Rachel leaned on the edge of Gabriella's desk.

"What I have told you fits neatly into the history you know to be true. It's safe." Gabriella looked back at Rachel, "If I told you any more, everything would change."

Rachel frowned, "Tell me what happens next." She demanded.

Gabriella turned to her flickering audience, "What about you? Do you want to know what happens next?"

A/N: You might think this is just a long winded and complex way to get people to ask me for a sequel, but… well, you'll just have to wait and see. And review, don't forget to review. All questions _will_ be answered in ATOP book II.

moon-neko-princess gets special mention for correctly predicting (sort of) the first line of this chapter. You earned an, um, chocolate coin!

****

The reason for stopping here: I wanted to get out of the depressive style this one was written in. If you didn't feel it I did, everytime I wrote it. Not that the next story will be all happiness.

As with all my stories you have some time to ask questions, this time until I start to post part two, and the answers will be posted after this chapter. Just don't expect any questions that were asked in the above to be answered.

I know I'm late with the update, but life happened, and I couldn't log in for some reason when I _was_ home. I'm actually surprised I didn't get more of a response for my last chapter. I think it was one of the best in the story. It was supposed to be weird. This one I'm actually very unhappy with, ah well.


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